Birthday Present
by Redejeka
Summary: Toby asks for a birthday present. Will Mrs. Lovett be able to give him what he wants? read and find out.


Since it's my birthday, I wanted to post something here and maybe make some people happy? I was really going to update my other story but then I still don't have an inspiration to do so. So i settled with this.

Enjoy! :D

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It is one lazy afternoon; Mrs. Lovett decides to close her shop, for there are only few customers coming in to eat. She thinks it is better to use this day to take a break and relax. Done closing, she goes up to the barbershop and coerced Mr. Todd to do the same and convince him to go downstairs and join her for some cuppa. After a long battle of glaring, the barber gives in.

Mr. Todd and Mrs. Lovett are now in the parlor, lounging. The barber is seated across the baker, slumped in the loveseat. He is absentmindedly twirling his silver razor in his hand while staring at the roaring fire in front of him- clearly lost in his own world. While the baker is minding her own business, reading a book- something about Prince charming- at the same time, sipping a cup of tea.

Both individual are very content and happy with the silence and the company of one another- though it may not seem like Mr. Todd is enjoying, he is- somehow. It is truly nice for both of them to have a day off. They are always working so hard- well, as for the barber, pacing for hours is a very tiring thing to do. So, it is good thing that they are both seated and just relaxing.

The peace is broken when a loud bang emanates from the shop and a set of heavy footsteps comes rushing towards the parlor. There, emerges from the doorway, a scruffy looking Toby- with a gleeful smile planted on his face. He immediately rushes towards his mother. He seems to be very excited about something, and if he doesn't speak up, he's going to bursts soon.

"Mum!" Both heads turns towards him- one of Mrs. Lovett, and the other- Mr. Todd. The boy manages to get the barber's attention without even trying doing so- the baker should ask Toby how he did it.

"Yes, Dear?" asks Mrs. Lovett; She gingerly folds her book- not without marking it first- and places it at the table beside her. Then, grabbing hold of her cup of tea, and sipping from it.

Toby fidgets, looking at the ground suddenly embarrassed. "Well, s'just that, the other day you asked what I want for me birthday. I said to think about it and… I know what I want now, mum." At the end of what he is saying, Toby regains her cheerful mood, smiling brightly at the baker.

Mrs. Lovett looks curious and a little bit nervous- what he could possibly want? She wishes, to someone up there, that her boy will not ask to help her in the bake house- if so then she doesn't know what she will do. "Oh. What is it that you want now, Toby? Mind, I cannot buy it if it's too expensive."

"I want a baby brother, mum." Toby blurts out.

Mrs. Lovett almost falls out of her chair. A child!? This is worse than Toby requesting to join her down the bake house. Well, at least it's not expensive- not really. She racks her brain, thinking of what to say to the boy without getting his heart broken- that what he's asking is not easy to give. She feels the barber looking at her; she glances at him sideways- she can see his smirking face. Bastard!

"Toby…" she takes hold of the boy's hands, squeezing them lightly- to make her point clear. "Babies cannot be bought in the market- they are made."

"Made? If we're the one to create it, then the better, mum. I want me brother to have a hair like mine, eyes like yours, or maybe he can have the color of ya hair too and-" Toby continues on with talking about what he wants for his brother to look like, while the baker listens to him fondly.

After thinking of his imaginary brother's features, Toby drops the inevitable question. "How do we make him, mum?" he smiles down at his mother, his eyes shining with innocence.

Mrs. Lovett stutters, unsure of how to answer the question. How can she explain to this little child in front of her about making babies? He just wouldn't understand.

"Uh- we- I mean, you- you cannot… make babies, yet. It's for the adults only, Dear." She answers; she ruffles Toby's hair and pats his shoulder, giving him a strained smile.

"But mum! Ain't I old enough? I'm eleven- I'm a big boy." His face falls; he hates how his mother always treats him like a child. He's a grown up now- he doesn't cry anymore and he can already lift the sofa they are sitting at.

"No, Toby. You're still young. By adults, I mean- for example- Me and Mistah T." she says, pointing a finger at Mr. Todd, who immediately looks away when both Mrs. Lovett and Toby looks at him- pretending not to be interested with what they are talking about.

Suddenly, Toby's face lights up; the baker can tell that the wheels are turning in the boy's head. He grins broadly at her, then. "If I can't help with making me baby brother, then I think Mr. Todd can, right mum? I will just tell you what I want him to look like then yous two can create him."

Toby is bursting with uncontained happiness. No matter what his mother says, in the end, he knows that she will give him what he wants. He has been a good lad- according to her- and he only deserves to be rewarded.

"Toby, Darling… Only married adults can make babies- and Mr. T and I ain't married, you see? If we make you a baby brother- like you want- out of wedlock, then they will throw me at Bedlam. You don't want that, don't you?" the baker cannot bear to look at the child. There's so much sadness and pain in his face and it's breaking her heart, because she knows that she's the one causing it.

"No, mum." Toby replies as he starts walking out of the parlor, heading somewhere he only knows.

"Where are ya goin'? " The baker asks, concerned, but she receives no answer. She stands up to follow Toby but she guesses that she should let him be alone. Later, he'll go back into his playful mood and forget about wanting a baby brother.

She takes a seat and sighs dramatically, shaking her head. "Poor thing."

Mr. Todd looks at her; his brows are furrowed and his jaw, tightened. "When are you going to tell him?" he asks, in all seriousness.

Mrs. Lovett jumps, startled- forgetting that the barber is still in the parlor with her. "Mr. T! ya gave me a fright, ya did!"

The barber ignores her, asking the same question again. "When are you going to tell the boy?"

"Uh- I don't know, Love." Mrs. Lovett sighs dejectedly. She closes her eyes and rubs her forehead- feeling a headache coming in.

"You should tell him now." he insists; he has nothing to worry about, he is not the one dealing with the boy.

Mrs. Lovett whips her head up, looking at the barber sharply. "Well, if you're so keen on telling him then, why don't ya do it yourself?" the baker snaps, irritated by the barber's persistence.

"Besides…" the baker adds, not finished with her sermon. "If you really want me to tell him, then marry me first. If I tell it to the boy then he will tell it to his friends- he's excited. News will spread and if it reaches the law then, I'm off to Bedlam. Or maybe that's what you want- for me to go there. I knew it! Yes, that's what you're plannin' you want to-"

Mrs. Lovett is cut off from her speech when Mr. Todd suddenly stands up and leaves the room- ignoring her. "Oi! I ain't done talkin' to you!" she shouts, but the barber is already on his way upstairs.

"Bastard." The baker mutters under her breath. Again, taking a seat, she slumps down the sofa, wanting to scream. She closes her eyes, calming herself- it will not do well to stress herself. She turns to her side, settling with reading when something catches her eyes.

There, at the sofa where Mr. Todd is previously occupying, lays a small red velveteen box. Mrs. Lovett heart beats fast. Is this what she thinks it is? She kneels down in front of the sofa, raising a hand shakily and grabbing the small box. Tears are now freely running down her cheeks- though she doesn't know why.

Opening the box, she gasps- covering her mouth and crying some more. Inside the box is the most beautiful jewelry she has ever seen- a ring. It has a golden band and a big protruding shining, shimmering, diamond in the middle.

She knows that the barber is not one for kneeling and proposing his love for her; but, if this is his way of proposing then, she doesn't mind- as long as they are getting married. She puts on the ring and holds her hand in front of her, checking how it fits her. She squeals with happiness and excitement. She can now tell Toby that he will have a baby brother as a birthday present. But first, she needs to go upstairs and tell the grumpy man how she loves him so much- more than anything in the world.

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Reviews are L.O.V.E. :D


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